Start up of the MEMS gyro is performed by amplifying electronics noise, which goes into a comparator which then drives logic that generates a drive waveform. The input of the initial drive stage (charge amplifier) often includes electrostatic discharge (ESD) protection, such as an ESD diode. The ESD protection can often introduce a leakage current, which leads to a DC offset. If that DC offset is too large, a comparator in the initial drive stage never switches (no clock signal is sent to a drive component), no drive signal is generated, and the sensor never starts. Although it is possible to solve this problem by adding a low frequency high pass filter, this consumes valuable board space or die space within the application specific integrated circuit (ASIC).